Homicide Watch Chicago

By MICHAEL O’BRIEN and JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times

Jonathan Mills, a standout basketball player at North Lawndale and the University of Southern Mississippi, was shot and killed Monday afternoon in North Lawndale.

The 26-year-old was outside a store in the 4100 block of West Roosevelt Road at 1:27 p.m. when someone approached and opened fire, according to Chicago Police. Mills suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

North Lawndale basketball coach Lewis Thorpe was at the scene. “It’s him,” Thorpe said. “I’m looking at the body right now.”

Mills, the father of two daughters, played with Southern Miss in the NCAA Tournament in 2012. After college, he played basketball overseas. He later played for the Chicago Fury of the Midwest Basketball League.
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By SAM CHARLES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

An Englewood man charged with the fatal shooting of Larry Lawrence last month in the Gold Coast neighborhood was ordered held without bond Monday.

Charles Ternior, 22, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one misdemeanor count of obstructing identification in connection with the fatal shooting of the 27-year-old Lawrence on June 29 in the 1100 block of North Clark, according to Chicago Police. Ternior, of the 5600 block of South Green, was ordered held without bond Monday.

Lawrence, of the 6500 block of South King Drive, was shot several times and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:41 p.m. that evening, according to the medical examiner’s office.
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Roberto Ortiz of west suburban Cicero died Saturday, five days after he was shot in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Ortiz, 20, was outside about 8:50 p.m. on July 18 in the 4400 block of South Wolcott when a male got out of a black four-door vehicle and shot him in the head, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Ortiz, of the 2600 block of South 60th Court in Cicero, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 12:48 a.m. Saturday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Jesus Martinez Jr. was shot early Sunday while driving in the West Elsdon neighborhood on the Southwest Side, and died about five hours later.

About 2:10 a.m., the 20-year-old Martinez was at the wheel of a vehicle going west on 55th Street when a black car pulled alongside him at a stop sign at Kostner Avenue, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Someone inside the other car pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking him in the back, police said.

Martinez was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 7:23 a.m., authorities said. He lived in the 5700 block of South Kilbourn.

No one was in custody as Area Central detectives investigate.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A northwest Indiana man found shot to death Friday in the Roseland neighborhood has been identified as Tabari Freeman.

Officers responding to a call of a person down about 6:15 p.m. found the 20-year-old unresponsive in the backyard of a home in the 10700 block of South Edbrooke, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Freeman had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:31 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 7500 block of Whitcomb Street in Merrillville, Indiana.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Nineteen-year-old Gregory Chacon was killed in a drive-by shooting in the Brighton Park neighborhood Sunday afternoon.

The shooting happened about 3:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of South Kedzie. An uncooperative witness told investigators that a newer-model black vehicle approached Chacon and someone inside fired numerous shots, Chicago Police said. The vehicle then took off northbound.

Chacon suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and arm, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:25 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 4300 block of South California.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A North Side man shot to death in the Jackson Park Highlands neighborhood Thursday night on the South Side has been identified as Andre Wells.

About 9:15 p.m., the 29-year-old Wells was walking in the 6700 block of South Chappel when someone walked up and shot him in the chest, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Wells was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:02 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 4400 block of North Magnolia.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Twenty-five-year-old Deandre Gray was shot to death while sitting in a parked car Saturday afternoon in the Roseland neighborhood.

About 1:35 p.m., Gray was sitting in a car parked in the 10400 block of South Wentworth when someone walked up and shot him in the head, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Gray was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 3:37 p.m., authorities said. The shooting happened about three blocks from his home in the 10700 block of South Wentworth.

Area South detectives are investigating.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Ernest Hudson was shot and killed Friday afternoon, about three blocks from his Englewood neighborhood home, according to authorities.

Hudson, 18, was shot in the head about 4:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Lowe, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 6500 block of South Green.

Hudson was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:55 p.m., police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A west suburban man has been charged with shooting a man to death less than a block from his South Shore neighborhood home Tuesday evening.
Anthony J. Nicholas, 38, was standing outside about 6:40 p.m. in the 6700 block of South East End Avenue when 33-year-old Andrew Smith walked up, opened fire and then ran away, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Nicholas, who lived on the same block, was shot in the chest, and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:40 p.m., authorities said.

Smith, of the 7900 block of Ogden Avenue in Lyons, was charged with one felony count each of first-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, police said. He was already wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in court.

He is expected to appear in bond court Friday, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire